Shoe bottom heater with links for adjusting heating-grid supports



Oct. 27, 1953 F. R. SMITH 2,657,029

SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR Oct. 27, 1953 F. R. SMITH 2,657,029

SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR v ADJUSTING HEATING-GRID SUPPORTS Filed NOV. 20. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 In van for E'an/v \jmit/l B his Attorney Oct. 27, 1953 lTH 2,657,029

F. R. SM SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR ADJUSTING HEATING-GRID SUPPORTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 20. 1951 Evenior Earl/r Smith By hi Attof" Oct. 2 7, 1953 Filed Nov. 20. 1951 F. R. SMITH SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR ADJUSTING HEATING-GRID SUPPORTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 27, 1953 F. R. SMITH SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR ADJUSTING HEATING-GRID SUPPORTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 20. 1951 r m Ouv a 0 l m t m 0 I n 5 u 5 1 n e R A 5 J J w m u w 1 1,, n ,7, n 1 F 1 1 m MW H M W n I (J S N u 1 H u 9 u 5 3 w 7 9 a a 1 1 w. H F N 7 1 M .H a w W P 9 9 8 1 n {J l 5 0v 2 9 q H m 5 H 1 9 .5 n W y z 0 1 (I [4014 M 1 K x 0 9 w 1 0 I. m fl E;

SHOE BOTTOM HEATER WITH LINKS FOR ADJUSTING HEATING-GRID SUPPORTS Filed Nov. 20. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor 9 Fran/v Smith Q Q 47 B hs Argo/Iggy jib Z7 45 57 V Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED :STATES :iIOFFICE SHOE BOTTOM HEATERhWITH LINKS FOR ADJ USTIN G HEATINGQ'GRID'ITSUPPORTS i Frank Richard Smith, Leicesten England;-=assignor to. United "Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington,-'N-. J acorporationpt New Jersey Application November 20, 1951, Serial No.257;400

InGreat'Britain December 14, 1950 6. Glaims.

.r. 1 This invention is concerned w'ith impro'vements in or relating to'apparatus adaptedfor heating shoes, the word shoe" being used herein todenote outer footwear'generally whether completed or only partially completed; the -inVen 'tion will be hereinafter described with reference to heating the bottoms of shoes which have been lasted but which have-pas yet, nooutsoles.

' At the presenttime a considerable proportion of the shoes being manufactured are -cement-' "soled"shoes,that is to sayshoes which -have leather outsolessecur'ed in place upon their shoe bottoms by'cem'ent, for example, pyroxylin'cement,

rather than by stitching or metallic fasteners.

Thus a' cement-soled shoe may 'be'made by a I process in which "both the outsole and the shoe 'bottom are first roughed and are thenfigiven marginal 'j'applications of pyroiiylin solution, the t solvent therein being "thereafter allowed to evaporate to' leave marginal coatings "of pyroxylin' on the "two workpieces. Subsequentlyfat. a convenient time in 'the'shoe manufacturing process, a suitable activator; comprising a volatile solvent forthe pyroxylin, is 'appli'ed to the outsole'and the outsole and'shoe' are; very shortly the press.

"In making a cement-soled shoe'by the-process just referred to; the period of "tlme 'for which the outsole and shoe must be held together under pressure is one factor which determines the number "of pairs of shoes which a cement sole press is capable of handling in a given 'time.-In'

. order to shortenthis period and so to increase the capacity ofthe'presait hasbeen a common practice to subject "the outsole to' moist heattim- .mediately prior to application of the activator with a 'view tohastening evaporation of. the solvent when the workis in the press. Such heating is diificult to accomplish, especially in the case of outsoles of leather ofthe quality commonly available at the'presenttimeg: without .considerable' risk of discoloringj for example staining, the outsole. *It has therefore been proposed to heat the shoe bottom, rather than the outsole, immediately prior to bringmg together athe shoe and outsole and placingthem in-"the press.

'Accordingly,'-="one o1"the*-various objects of the "invention is to'provide'an improved apparatus comprising a shoe support and a heating-unit for heating the bottoms "ofulasted 1 shoes.

3 Lasted shoes-mayhave' different bottomcontours, that is, the angularrelation between-the forepart and shank portions of the bottom at the break may difier'substantially, thus necessitat- 'ing adjustment of Lthe heating -unit': to provide even heating of the forepart and shank portions.

At the same time, it is advantageous: to provide for simultaneous adjustment of the shoe support as a gage for locating the shoe inoperative posi- -tion and as a gagelfor adjustment of the heating unit. Furthers to: provide ffOIJ .changes in"v the routine of removal or ."shoes" from/the apparatus Y and: replacement of'oth'er: shoes therein; such as *may' be occasioned-whytenforced.delays,- or to J provide for variationsiinilthe nature. of: the shoe bottom; cement; or solvent; it" is: highly advantageou's that theover-all heating. ofnthe shoes may be rapidly varied. @Because of the. thermal capacitance oralag: of the usual electric heating elements, this rapidzvariationscannot be provided merely by switching. of the1electric power.

Another object: of theiinvention,accordingly, is the-provision of shoe bottom..-heating apparatus in which such adjustmentsxmay'beispeedily and In accdrdance .with affeature of the invention,

. *an i embodimentz'ithereof. hereinafter described comprises a .shoe support, aitwo-section heating unit,- manually-operat'ed means: for adjusting the relative: disposition of the heating sections, and manually operat'edt'means for providing bodily Y relative 1 movement of J approach or separation abetween' the heating sections and thesupport.

i Inaccordancewith another feature. of the invention; the a apparatus comprises a two-section shoe support; a ztwoesection heating unit, manually=operated meansfor simultaneously adjusting the relativezdispositionsiof the sections of the supportand ofnthe'sections of. the heating unit, z fands. -manually-operated means: for providing bodily movement of approach or separation be- :tweerr .theisupport and the heating unit.

viewed inzanot-heraspect in the. specific embodimentedisciosedxhereim: the adjustingsmeans cooperates with the meansproviding bodily movementof approachror. separation between one. sup- .port section i and "onevheating section ..to. main- .tain thezsaid relative dispositions of the. sections during the relative. movement to provide bodily I movementofapproach or separation between the support'and the heating unit.

Thus bodily relative movement of approach or separation may be caused to take place between the shoe support and the heating unit with the sections at any relative disposition to which they may have been adjusted, or the relative disposition of the sections may be adjusted with the heating unit and the shoe support set apart at any distance of separation.

The above and other of the various features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear from the following description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of the said illustrative apparatus. It will be realized that this apparatus has been selected for description by way of example and not of limitation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an angular view of the illustrative apparatus with parts broken away;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are views, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing parts of adjusting means and controlling means of the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in section, of a fragment of the heating unit, showing electrical connections of the apparatus;

Fig. 7 is a view, partly in section substantially along VIIVII of Fig. 2, showing parts of adjusting means and controlling means of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, partly in section along VIII-VIII of Fig. 1, showing a frictional device of the apparatus; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic side view showing a shoe in position on the apparatus.

The illustrative apparatus has a box-like base M (Fig. 1) having a left-hand side wall l3, righthand side wall l5, and back wall H. The base has a bracket, not shown, by which it may be conveniently supported over a cement sole press. Within the base I I is a shoe support comprising two support sections R and S (Fig. 3), and a heating unit comprising two heating sections P and Q disposed beneath the support sections. The heating sections 1? and Q are hinged together by a pivot l9 and the support sections R and S are connected by pivots 2 I, of which only one is visible in the drawings.

The heating section P is held in substantially horizontal relation to the base It and comprises three conventional metal heating plates 23, 25, 21 secured at their ends to a rigid frame 29, L- shaped in cross section, which is bolted to a front flange 35 of the base H by bolts 33, 35 (Fig. l) and is connected to the pivot it which passes through the side walls 13, i5. The support section R comprises end pieces 31, L-shaped in cross section (only one is visible in the drawings), between which run crossbars 39, 40 and work-supporting wires 4i mutually strengthened by wires 53. The section R is connected to the pivots 2i and to means hereinafter described whereby relative bodily movement of approach or separation may be caused to take place between the sections P and R.

The heating section Q comprises plates 45, i1, 59 similar to the plates 23, secured to a frame 55 connected to the pivot 19 and to adjusting means hereinafter described. The support section S comprises end pieces 53 (only one is visible in the drawings), a crossbar 55 and wires 51, 59. The section S is connected to the pivots 2| and to adjusting means hereinafter described.

The heating plates 23, 25, 21, 45, 47 and 4e are electrically connected by wires in the manner 6. shown in Fig. 6, leads 53 passing through a hollow rivet 64 (Fig. 6) set in the back wall I! and running to a conventional switch control unit :6 (Fig. 1) which is connected to a main supply.

A flat tray having a vertical edge wall El and handle 69 is fitted for sliding movement on the base H of the framework and lies closely below the heating sections P and Q.

Manually-operated adjusting and controlling means of the illustrative apparatus will now be described. The apparatus comprises adjusting means whereby the operator may adjust the relative dispositions of the support sections and of the heating sections, and controlling means for providing relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the heating unit P, Q and the shoe support R, S.

The rear heating section Q has its forward edge pivoted about the pivot It. A bolt El (Figs. 1 and 8) extends sideways from the frame 5| between its rear edge and the pivot 19 and passes freely through an arcuate slot 13 in the righthand side wall to. A similar bolt H (Fig. 7) is secured to a left-hand portion of the frame 5| and passes through an arcuate slot 55 in the lefthand side wall I3. Two washers H, 19 are mounted on the bolt TI on either side of the side wall !5, the washer is (on the outside of the wall) being resiliently pressed against the wall I5 by a spring washer 2-! between the washer l3 and a washer 83 next to the head of the bolt H. The washer '55 thus provides a friction grip against the side wall it": sufficient to keep the section Q in any position at which the operator may set it; the compression or" the spring Washer 31 is adjustable by turning the bolt H which screws into a tapped hole in the frame 5!. The bolt H passing through the slot 75 on the left of the apparatus carries a similar assembly of washers.

The adjusting and controlling means of the illustrative apparatus comprise parts which are symmetrically disposed on each side of the apparatus. For convenience parts on the left-hand side only will be described, it being understood that there are corresponding parts on the right.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, the adjusting means of the illustrative apparatus comprises an upright bar pivoted at its lower end to the pivot (9. The bar 85 is provided with two longitudinal slots 6i and 39; the pivot 2i passes through the lower slot 5]. A handlebar 9i is secured at the top of the bar 85 and at the top of the corresponding bar, shown as 85 (Fig. l), on the right of the apparatus. By the handlebar 9| the operator may adjust the bars 85, 35 forwardly of their vertical positions. In the slot 89 two pivot pins 93, are free to slide; to the lower pin 93 are connected end portions of two links 37, as opposite end portions of which are connected for pivotal movement respectively to the frame 29 of the heating section P and to the frame 51 of the heating section Q. The latter connection is made in the manner shown in 8; thus the link on the right of the apparatus corresponding to the link as and indicated by the reference numeral Hi3 lies between collars till, H33 on the bolt "H. End portions of two links I95, H)? are connected to the upper pivot pin 85 and opposite end portions are connected for pivotal movement respectively to a portion of the crossbar (i9 projecting through one of the end pieces 37 of the support section R and to a portion of the crossbar 55 projecting through one of the end pieces 53 of the support section S. When the bar 85 is vertical, the sections P, Q, R and S anemone are substantially horizontal..T..It willzbeiseen by a comparison of'Figs. 2 and 4,.andfiof'Fi'gs". 3 and 5, that forward:- tiltingof thei'b'als 735 and1-86by the operator 'will' .vary the 'relativeiangular'idispositions of the support sections andfofithe heating sections, the sections Q, Sibeing'raised pivotally about the pivots 19,2 I, respectively; a littlerela- 'tive sliding movement also -takes place between .the sections P and R, but there is substantially no. change. in their relative'op'erative disposition or spacing.

i The controlling means Of the illustrativeapparatus comprises two parallel togglelinksiarranged to raise and lower the front. horizontal, or substantially horizontal, zsupportrsection-i R. Onetoggle link comprises the linksliiil, H I iconnected togetherby a pivot IiI3,Jthe"link .IIlIlJbeing pivotedto a pin I I fixed'ini theside wall I3 "and the link i I being mounted'for pivotalsm'ove- .ment'on an end portion of the'crossbar i4Il:pro-

'jecting through one of the endpieces 31 of the support section R. The other toggle link comprises links I I1, I I9 connected together by a pivot I2 I, the link H I being pivoted to a pinl23 fixed but a dashed line from the numeral I23 indicates its position behind pin 95. The pivots 5H3; ill

are joined by a connecting link I25. :Integral 'withthe link II1 isianarm IZ'LieXtending upwardly from the pin I23. A controlling bar I29 is fixed at an end of the arm 'I Z'Iremote from. the

pivot I23, and passes from the arm I21 to .the

arm on the right-hand side of theapparatus corresponding to the arm I21- A central portion of the bar I29 is enclosedin a sleeve I3I. integral with a bar I 33 on a front end of which is a-handle I35. Movement of the barI 33 by the operator to effect pivotal movement of the arm I21 and link In about thexpin I23 causesrelative movement of approachor separationto takeplace between the support section B and the section P, and since the links 91, 99, I95 and IOTmaintain the'rela-.

tive dispositions of the heating sections and of .the support sections whileitheapivot pin'sl93, v95 slide in the slot 89 of the bar85, relative bodily movement is provided betweenthe heatingunit and the shoe support. A rod I31 extends across the apparatus between the side walls I3, I5 and through an aperture I39 in the bar I33. The aperture I39 comprises three recesses I4I, I43, I45 whereby the bar I33 may be set in fixed relation to the rod I31 and the shoe support R, S set apart from the heating unit P, Q at any of three distances of separation. A comparison of Figs. 2 and 3, and of Figs. 4 and 5, shows how the relative bodily movement of approach or separation is effected. Furthermore, it will be clear that such relative movement of approach or separation may be caused to take place with the sections set at any angular disposition to which they may have been adjusted, or the relative angular disposition may be adjusted with the heating unit and shoe support set apart at any distance of separation at which they may have been set by the controlling means.

In using the apparatus, the operator conveniently turns on the switch of the unit 66, takes a first shoe I41 (Fig. 9) of a batch on which he is working and lays it on the support section R in the manner shown in Fig. 9; he then grasps the handlebar BI and adjusts the angular disposition of the sections so that the support section S is '6 broughtiadjacenttothe :forepart :-of:the:shoe= I 41.

He then setsithebar fl33with therodl3lin1the one of the recesses 4 i1, al 43, BI 45' which hedes-ires.

The operator: then .placesz five more shoes along- =side. theifirstone. lneusing a shoepress itris customary to take: 'aboutwfifteen' seconds to'-remove :onershoe, with its outsoleffrom'the press sand 'to-replace it by*anotheryso that.whenthe willustrative apparatus: is used with a press as re- :ferredto, eachshoe bottom is heated for about a minuteand a half.

FReriodically it is. desirable thatzthe operator 1018311113116 apparatus, and this. is readily efiected byiremoving the tray '65 upon which mostof any cement or waste matter which has dropped from the shoe:bottomstthrough'the shoe support R, S will have been collected.

.sIt will be'appreciated that the illustrative apilparatus is adapted-for evenly heating. the-bottoms of. shoes: having difi'erent angular relation- .shipsof the shank and forepart by'the provision iofmeans for adjusting the relative'angular dispositionsof the heating sections and further that .by'the'controlling' means the heat impartedto the vbottom of arshoe may be varied according to the nature of the shoe bottom, or of any cementapplied theretoor of any'solvent with which the shoe bottom'm'ay subsequently'be associated or forrany otherlreason requiring rapid variation --of such heating.

. .Advantageously, for'conditions requiring heat adjustment but notirapid variation, arheostat 159 or other means forcontrolling the supply of electric energy may be incorporated in the illustrative apparatus whereby the heat imparted to shoe bottomsresting on the: shoe support "Rf S may be regulated. .Thus, the support R, S may be set closely above the heating unit P, Q, i. e., 1 with the rod .I3'I in'the recess M5 and the reguf lating means set so that the desired amount of heat is imparted to the shoe'bottoms in, say, a minute and a half. If, with theapparatus soarranged, the operator wishes to pause in his work, with the shoes resting on the shoe support R, 8-, he is thenable, by grasping the handle I35 and setting the bar I33 with the rod I31 in the recess I4 I, to raise'the shoes away from the heating unit and prevent any ZiSklOf the shoes being-damaged by overheating... By raising the'shoe support R, S away from the heating unit P, Q, the rate at which heat is imparted to the shoe bottoms is reduced almost immediately to a rate at which there is no risk of overheating of the shoe bottoms, whereas if the shoe support R, S were to remain at a fixed distance from the heating unit P, Q and adjustment of the regulating means relied upon to reduce the rate of heating, a longer period of time would elapse before the rate of heating would be reduced to a. rate at which there would be no risk of overheating of the shoe bottoms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In apparatus for heating the bottom of a shoe, a support for a shoe, two heating sections disposed beneath said support, manually-operated means operable to adjust the relative disposition of said sections, prior to the disposition of a shoe on said support, to equalize substantially the heating of the bottoms of shoes having difi'erent angles at the break between the forepart and shank portions, and manually-operated means for providing relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the heating sections and the support without disturbing the relative disposition of said sections.

2. In apparatus for heating the bottom of a lasted shoe, a shoe support comprising two support sections, a heating unit comprising two heating sections disposed beneath the shoe support, manually-operated means for adjusting simultaneously the relative dispositions of the support sections and of the heating sections to accommodate shoes having different angles at the break between the iorepart and shank portions, and manually-operated means for providing relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the support and the heating unit.

3. In apparatus for heating the bottom of a lasted shoe, a shoe support comprising two substantially flat support sections adapted to be disposed in edge-to-edge relation, a heating unit comprising two substantially fiat heating sections adapted to be disposed in edge-to-edge relation beneath the support sections in parallel relation thereto for heating the bottom of a shoe, manually-operated means for providing relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the heating unit and the shoe-supporting means to adjust their spacing, and manually-operated means for adjusting in parallel relation the relative angular disposition of the heating sections and the relative angular disposition of the support sections and for maintaining such dispositions during relative bodily movement of approach or separation between a support section and a heating section.

4. In apparatus for heating the bottom of a shoe, a shoe support comprising two support sections adapted to be disposed adjacent to each other in adjustable relative disposition to accommodate shoes of different bottom contour, a heating unit comprising two heating sections adapted to be disposed beneath the support sec tions in a predetermined operative relation thereto for radiating heat to the bottom or" a shoe on the supporting means, manually-adjustable parallel toggle links to provide relative bodily movement of approach or separation between a support section and a heating section for adjusting their spacing, and manually-operated linkage connected to the support sections and the heating sections for adjusting simultaneously the angular dispositions of the support sections relative to each other and of the heating sections in said operative relation and for maintaining said dispositions during said bodily movement.

5. In apparatus for heating the bottom of a lasted shoe, two support sections hinged together to form an angularly adjustable shoe supporting means, two heating sections hinged together to form an angularly adjustable-heating unit, first means including adjustable parallel toggle linkage for holding one support section substantially parallel to and in variably-spaced operative relation to a heating section, and second means comprising a slotted bar pivoted at one end and four links each connected at one end to a section and at the other end to a pivot sliding in the slot of the bar for adjusting simultaneously the relative angular dispositions of the support sections and of the heating sections and for maintaining said dispositions during operation of the first means.

6. Apparatus adapted for heating the bottom of a shoe, said apparatus comprising angular-lyadjustable supporting sections upon which a plurality of lasted shoes may rest bottoms down, angularly-adjustable heating sections beneath the supporting sections, manually-operated means for simultaneously adjusting the relative angular dispositions of the support sections and of the heating sections and for maintaining such dispositions while providing a free scope for relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the support sections and the heating sections, and manually-operated controlling means cooperating therewith for providing relative bodily movement of approach or separation between the support sections and the heating sections.

FRANK RICHARD SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,258,633 Heath Mar. 5, 1918 2,081,648 Suerken May 25, 1937 2,304,983 Winkley et a1 Dec. 15, 1942 2,514,101 Stanley July 4, 1950 

